The History of Political Thought: A Thematic Introduction

How have the central issues in political theory-the ends of politics, the location and exercise of political power, and challenges to authority-been tackled by various thinkers over the course of history? By emphasizing chronology and context, John Morrow provides an organizationally innovative introduction to political thinkers and themes. The book balances a coherent account of theoretical traditions with a grounded awareness of the social and political currents which produced them. Morrow combines detailed coverage of the great figures of political thought, such as Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, and Mill with important but lesser known names such as Bodin, Grotius, Maurras, Bartolus, Paley, Godwin, and Bakunin. Spanning ancient times to the twentieth century and providing timelines and charts to organize the material, The History of Political Thought is an exceptionally lucid and integrated introduction to the ways in which Western thinkers have come to grips with the problems and paradoxes of political life.